Birth control

I have already registered with my local GP. However, I have been having horrible periods since I have been here in England and I think it's time I get back on Birth Control. Is there anything I need to know? Do they have different name brands of BC over here?

They have different types.  If you were on something in the US bring along the packet and they can see what the closest UK version is.

And if you have the information from inside the packet that will help too. I spent over 20 minutes with the nurse at my GP the other day while she tried to interpret the name (not in her computer or her book) and convert micrograms to something else... my packet didn't say, but the info sheet I had thrown away probably did.

And if you have the information from inside the packet that will help too. I spent over 20 minutes with the nurse at my GP the other day while she tried to interpret the name (not in her computer or her book) and convert micrograms to something else... my packet didn't say, but the info sheet I had thrown away probably did.

No offense to the nurse, but there are books she could have used to do that within a couple of minutes - we have a big encyclopedia-type book in our pharmacy at work that lists all foreign brands of drugs and gives a UK conversion, so if someone comes in with a product name (even in a different language) we can look up the product, find out what's in it and give a UK equivalent in less than 5 minutes (or apologise to them if there is no UK equivalent).

I have previously been on birth control for the past 14 years (1/2 of the time in the UK)  when i first went to get bcp here in the UK the gp just looked up the name of my pill in a book and prescribed them rite away...i had no prob taking them ...

was quite pleased that i no longer had to pay for them

No offense to the nurse, but there are books she could have used to do that within a couple of minutes - we have a big encyclopedia-type book in our pharmacy at work that lists all foreign brands of drugs and gives a UK conversion, so if someone comes in with a product name (even in a different language) we can look up the product, find out what's in it and give a UK equivalent in less than 5 minutes (or apologise to them if there is no UK equivalent).

wow, really? The place I went to to get BC while I was visiting Tim didn't have a book like this...I'm wondering if I got put on something completely different than what I should have!

wow, really? The place I went to to get BC while I was visiting Tim didn't have a book like this...I'm wondering if I got put on something completely different than what I should have!

Yeah, my nurse had a book, but it didn't seem to help her. She just kept thumbing through it and going, "no, that one will make you sick" , "i don't think this is like what you were on". In the end, I don't think she had a clue. She wasn't even sure that she was sending me home with something similar. I know that there are lots of different versions, with different estrogen levels. I've been on them for 4 days now and haven't had any problems.

The pill they gave me in the UK completely stopped my period, whereas the pill I'm on in the US gives me periods that last 1-2 days. I actually took a pee test the first month to make sure we didn't have an oops! 

Does anyone know where you can go in London to get a birth control prescription if your not eligible for public health care? (or would it just be a regular GYNO anyway)  I'm coming on an EEA Family Permit but believe I am not allowed to get a GP or NIS until I have my EEA2 residency card (which apparently will take close to a year!) and my birth control is the only thing for sure that I'll need to figure out how to get there!

Thanks

As the family member of an EEA national you can register with a doctor the second you land, and the family permit is evidence of that.

However, even if you were not eligible to use the NHS, birth control is free for all anyway.  Register with a GP or go to a Family Planning clinic.

Vicky

I assume this includes students on a visa - that they can get their birth control pills for free?  Does the NHS restrict it to certain brands of pills?  What about other medical services?  Are students on visas entitled to NHS, and if so, how and where do they register?

I assume this includes students on a visa - that they can get their birth control pills for free?  Does the NHS restrict it to certain brands of pills?  What about other medical services?  Are students on visas entitled to NHS, and if so, how and where do they register?

Everyone gets all birth control for free, even if they are foreign visitors without an official settlement/work/student visa. Also, visitors are entitled to free emergency hospital care, but have to pay for anything that is not considered an emergency (i.e. if a visitor is in a car crash and is taken to the emergency room, their emergency room treatment is free, but if they are moved to a ward to receive non-emergency treatment later, they will have to pay for it)

As long as your student visa is valid for longer than 6 months, you will be entitled to NHS care from the day you arrive in the UK. Most universities will have an orientation for international students and will tell you how to register with a doctor - usually the university will have its own health centre and doctors, so you just register with them and go there for appointments, check-ups, prescriptions etc.

Well, that's good news, and a big savings!  Now if we cancel the private health insurance policy here in the States, for which we pay about 400$ a month, what happens on holidays when we return to the US, if there was a medical problem?  Obviously NHS would not cover care in the US . . .  would we just get travel insurance to cover the week or two that we returned for, say Christmas, or "spring" break?  If that's the case, can anyone recommend any reliable companies?  Also, does anyone have any suggestions for reliable insurance for a UKC to have when coming to the US for a vacation, especially a company that might offer trip cancellation insurance?   Thanks for your help!

Well, that's good news, and a big savings!  Now if we cancel the private health insurance policy here in the States, for which we pay about 400$ a month, what happens on holidays when we return to the US, if there was a medical problem?  Obviously NHS would not cover care in the US . . .  would we just get travel insurance to cover the week or two that we returned for, say Christmas, or "spring" break?  If that's the case, can anyone recommend any reliable companies?  Also, does anyone have any suggestions for reliable insurance for a UKC to have when coming to the US for a vacation, especially a company that might offer trip cancellation insurance?   Thanks for your help!

Yes, when you return to the US for a visit, you will need to get travel insurance, otherwise you will not be covered for medical costs at all while in the US. There are lots of companies that offer this to UK citizens travelling to the US, however, you'll need to read the small print because many of them only offer travel insurance to UK citizens or UK residents, and as a student you will not be considered a UK resident (also, usually your trip must begin and end in the UK). It might take a bit of searching around to find a company that will cover you.

Here are some ideas to get you started, but not all of them will cover you: Endsleigh (must be a UK permanent resident), Boots Travel Insurance (must have been resident in UK for at least 6 of the previous 12 months and be registered with a UK doctor), STA Travel (available to UK residents or those who have been in the UK for more than 3 months).

Thank you for your help!  I will take a look at both of these!